The present invention generally relates to a motor vehicle and more particularly, to a switch for adjustably tilting a mirror member of each of a pair of right and left outer mirrors of the motor vehicle in upward, downward, rightward and leftward directions, (referred to as a "mirror switch", hereinbelow), which includes a changeover switch for selecting one of the right and left outer mirrors and an operating switch for adjustably tilting the mirror member of the selected one of the right and left outer mirrors in the upward, downward, rightward and leftward directions.
Conventionally, various mirror switches of this kind are known. One example of the prior art mirror switches is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which a sliding type changeover switch knob 2 for selecting one of a pair of right and left outer mirrors and a tilting type operating switch knob 3 for adjustably tilting the mirror member of the selected one of the right and left outer mirrors in upward, downward, rightward and leftward directions are disposed independently of each other in a switch casing 1. The operating switch knob 3 has a spherical portion 3a provided at a central portion thereof and acting as its tilting fulcrum and four push plate portions 3b extending from the spherical portion 3a in upward, downward, rightward and leftward directions of the spherical portion 3a, respectively such that the push plate portions are, respectively, used for tilting the mirror member in the upward, downward, rightward and leftward directions. The operating switch knob 3 is at all times urged by a spring 4 so as to be maintained in a neutral position. The spherical portion 3a is tiltably received by a spherical bearing portion 1a formed in the switch casing 1 so as to be tilted in the above described four directions. Meanwhile, a contact holder 6 supporting movable contacts 5 provided for the four push plate portions 3b, respectively is disposed below the spherical portion 3a and on a substrate 8 constituting a bottom wall 9 of the switch casing 1. Fixed contacts 7 operatively associated with the movable contacts 5 of the operating switch knob 3, respectively and other fixed contacts (not shown) operatively associated with another movable contact (not shown) disposed below the changeover switch knob 2 are provided on the substrate 8. Accordingly, when any one of the push plate portions 3b is depressed after either one of the right and left outer mirrors has been selected by the changeover switch knob 2, the movable contact 5 of the depressed one of the push plate portions 3b is brought into contact with a corresponding one of the fixed contacts 7, so that a drive circuit for driving the mirror member of the selected one of the right and left outer mirrors is closed and thus, the mirror member is tilted in the direction corresponding to the depressed one of the push plate portions 3b.
Meanwhile, although the mirror switch is generally mounted on an instrument panel of the motor vehicle, the instrument panel is further provided with various indicators, operating members, etc. Accordingly, it is desirable that the mirror switch be made as compact in size as possible. Consequently, in order to make the mirror switch compact, it is desirable that the changeover switch knob 2 and the operating switch knob 3 which are disposed separately from each other in the known mirror switch as described above be integrally combined with each other.
However, in the above described arrangement of the known mirror switch, since the push plate portions 3b are tilted in the four directions such that the spherical portion 3a provided at the central portion of the operating switch knob 3 acts as the tilting fulcrum, it is impossible to provide the changeover switch knob 2 at the central portion of the operating switch knob 3. Thus, the prior art mirror switch has such a disadvantage that, since the operating switch knob 3 and the changeover switch knob 2 are required to be disposed separately from each other, it becomes inevitably necessary to secure a large space for mounting the mirror switch on the instrument panel.